Additive manufacturing systems and methods

Abstract

Aspects described herein relate to additive manufacturing systems and related methods. An additive manufacturing system may include two or more laser energy sources and associated optical fibers. An optics assembly may be constructed and arranged to form a rectangular laser energy pixel associated with each laser energy source. Each pixel may have a substantially uniform power density, and the pixels may be arranged to form a linear array of laser energy pixels on a build surface with no spacing between the pixels. Exposure of a portion of a layer of material on the build surface to the linear array of laser energy pixels may melt the portion of the layer.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . An additive manufacturing system comprising:
 a build surface;   a plurality of laser energy sources configured to emit laser energy;   an array of micro-lenses and one or more objective lenses positioned after the array of micro-lenses, the array of micro-lenses and the one or more objective lenses configured to shape the laser energy to form a linear array of laser energy pixels; and   a control unit configured to control the plurality of laser energy sources to control a power level of each laser energy pixel of the linear array of laser energy pixels, and wherein exposure of a layer of material on the build surface to the linear array of laser energy pixels melts at least a portion of the layer of material during operation of the plurality of laser energy sources.   
     
     
         3 . The additive manufacturing system of  claim 2 , wherein the control unit is configured to control the power level of each laser energy pixel by adjusting a power density along the linear array of laser energy pixels. 
     
     
         4 . The additive manufacturing system of  claim 2 , wherein the control unit is configured to control the power level of each laser energy pixel by selectively turning each laser energy pixel on or off. 
     
     
         5 . The additive manufacturing system of  claim 2 , further comprising an optics assembly comprising the linear array of micro-lenses and the one or more objective lenses, and the optics assembly is configured to move the linear array of laser energy pixels by at least one of translating or rotating the linear array of laser energy pixels. 
     
     
         6 . The additive manufacturing system of  claim 2 , wherein the linear array of micro-lenses and the one or more objective lenses are configured to shape the linear array of laser energy pixels into a homogenous line of laser energy on the build surface. 
     
     
         7 . The additive manufacturing system of  claim 2 , wherein the linear array of laser energy pixels includes separate spaced apart pixels. 
     
     
         8 . The additive manufacturing system of  claim 2 , wherein each laser energy pixel has a width greater than or equal to 50 micrometers and less than or equal to 200 micrometers. 
     
     
         9 . The additive manufacturing system of  claim 2 , wherein the layer of material comprises a metal powder, and further comprising a material depositing system configured to deposit the metal powder on the build surface and spread the metal powder on the build surface. 
     
     
         10 . The additive manufacturing system of  claim 2 , further comprising a plurality of optical fibers, wherein each laser energy source of the plurality of laser energy sources is configured to transmit laser energy through a separate optical fiber of the plurality of optical fibers to the linear array of micro-lenses. 
     
     
         11 . The additive manufacturing system of  claim 2 , further comprising a plurality of optical fibers, wherein each laser energy source of the plurality of laser energy sources is configured to transmit laser energy through a separate optical fiber of the plurality of optical fibers to the one or more objective lenses to demagnify output from the separate optical fibers. 
     
     
         12 . The additive manufacturing system of  claim 2 , wherein each of the laser energy pixels comprises a rectangular laser energy pixel, and wherein each rectangular laser energy pixel has a substantially uniform power density. 
     
     
         13 . The additive manufacturing system of  claim 2 , wherein the linear array of micro-lenses and the one or more objective lenses are configured such that there is no spacing between adjacent laser energy pixels. 
     
     
         14 . An additive manufacturing system comprising:
 a build surface;   a plurality of laser energy sources configured to emit laser energy;   an array of micro-lenses and one or more objective lenses positioned after the array of micro-lenses, the array of micro-lenses and the one or more objective lenses configured to shape the laser energy to form an array of laser energy pixels; and   a control unit configured to control the plurality of laser energy sources to control a power level of each laser energy pixel of the array of laser energy pixels, and   wherein exposure of a layer of material on the build surface to the array of laser energy pixels melts at least a portion of the layer of material during operation of the plurality of laser energy sources.   
     
     
         15 . The additive manufacturing system of  claim 14 , wherein the control unit is configured to control the power level of each laser energy pixel by adjusting a power density along the array of laser energy pixels. 
     
     
         16 . The additive manufacturing system of  claim 14 , wherein the control unit is configured to control the power level of each laser energy pixel by selectively turning each laser energy pixel on or off. 
     
     
         17 . The additive manufacturing system of  claim 14 , further comprising an optics assembly comprising the array of micro-lenses and the one or more objective lenses, and the optics assembly is configured to move the array of laser energy pixels by at least one of translating or rotating the array of laser energy pixels. 
     
     
         18 . The additive manufacturing system of  claim 14 , wherein the array of micro-lenses and the one or more objective lenses are configured to shape the array of laser energy pixels into a homogenous line of laser energy on the build surface. 
     
     
         19 . The additive manufacturing system of  claim 14 , wherein the array of laser energy pixels includes separate spaced apart pixels. 
     
     
         20 . The additive manufacturing system of  claim 14 , wherein each laser energy pixel has a width greater than or equal to 50 micrometers and less than or equal to 200 micrometers. 
     
     
         21 . The additive manufacturing system of  claim 14 , wherein the layer of material comprises a metal powder, and further comprising a material depositing system configured to deposit the metal powder on the build surface and spread the metal powder on the build surface. 
     
     
         22 . The additive manufacturing system of  claim 14 , further comprising a plurality of optical fibers, wherein each laser energy source of the plurality of laser energy sources is configured to transmit laser energy through a separate optical fiber of the plurality of optical fibers to the array of micro-lenses. 
     
     
         23 . The additive manufacturing system of  claim 14 , further comprising a plurality of optical fibers, wherein each laser energy source of the plurality of laser energy sources is configured to transmit laser energy through a separate optical fiber of the plurality of optical fibers to the one or more objective lenses to demagnify output from the separate optical fibers. 
     
     
         24 . The additive manufacturing system of  claim 14 , wherein each of the laser energy pixels comprises a rectangular laser energy pixel, and wherein each rectangular laser energy pixel has a substantially uniform power density. 
     
     
         25 . The additive manufacturing system of  claim 14 , wherein there is no spacing between adjacent laser energy pixels. 
     
     
         26 . The additive manufacturing system of  claim 14 , wherein the array of micro-lenses comprises a cylindrical micro-lens array, and the array of micro-lenses is configured to:
 collimate, with a cylindrical lens, beam outputs from an optical fiber in a first direction normal to a plane that passes through a center of the optical fiber; and   collimate, with the cylindrical micro-lens array, the beam outputs in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction.